


'Till Our Wide Eyes Burn Blind

by A_FamilyTree_Z



Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Fluff, I hope you like a slow build because I live for that shit!!, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-26
Updated: 2016-04-25
Packaged: 2018-06-04 13:35:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6660232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_FamilyTree_Z/pseuds/A_FamilyTree_Z
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Teenage Justice League AU</p><p>Hal needs to escape his head. He invites Barry along for the ride.<br/>Barry needs Hal to be safe. He might even escape his head along the way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	'Till Our Wide Eyes Burn Blind

**Author's Note:**

> My first fic in the world ever -.- Please don't kill me if they seem OOC or if I get facts wrong! I'll get better, I promise!
> 
> I have no clue how many chapters this will be, hopefully a few...
> 
> Title and general fic idea taken from [Halsey - Roman Holiday](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heMTVlawFmM). I've had this song stuck on repeat all throughout writing this fic...

The slamming of the door was so loud, but so satisfying! Hal’s blood was boiling, Jack’s words echoing in his head: _if Dad could see you now_. Jack had a gift for drenching every word in venom, and stinging Hal where it hurt. But as with any poison, the lasting damage was always done in the aftermath. The words lingered and festered until he actually started to see the truth they held. Still, Hal never went down easy. His reply tonight ( _If Dad could see me now he’d know how big of a fuck up you turned out to be! Couldn’t even raise a ten-year-old right!_ ) hadn’t been his best, but the older he got, the better he became at turning the tables on Jack and play into his older brother’s insecurities. Somehow, it never felt as good as it should. Hal couldn’t wait until the day he turned 18 and join the Air Force.  
  
1 year, 254 days and counting.  
  
Needing to clear his head, he powered up his ring and took off. No matter how bad home got, Hal could always rely on this feeling of ecstasy, and on Barry Allen, to pick him up. Involuntarily, yet completely inevitable, Hal found himself on the Frye’s rooftop. He never meant to drag Barry into his messes; they were just so much more fun with his best friend by his side.  
  
Barry’s room up in the attic made it easy for sneaking in, if you had superpowers that is. He was a light sleeper, so tapping on the window would probably be enough to get invited in. But then Hal would have to explain what had made him want to fly into Barry’s bedroom after midnight, and _no thank you_. Hal had learned a long time ago that the best way of getting Barry to do anything was to bombard him with energy and appeal to his people pleasing ways.  
  
So he phased down through the roof, careful not to make a single sound. The makeshift lab set-up to the far end was tidy as ever. There had always been an order to Barry’s madness, but Hal could never understand it. This lab grew bigger every year. Hal had personally helped carry new equipment and an extra desk up several flights of stairs (a room in the attic suddenly a whole lot less appealing). The bookcase was overflowing, but somehow, the piles beside it were still alphabetized. _What a dork_ , he thought fondly. The computer was always rattling and whirring away, even now, in the middle of the night. It was either working out some complicated algorithm, or downloading the latest season of CSI, as usual. What was unusual was the lack of speedster whizzing between it all. Most of Barry’s nights were spent using his incredible super speed for the totally boring task of _collecting knowledge_. Hal shuddered at the thought.  
  
He turned around to find Barry fast asleep in his bed under the window, cast in the faint green glow of Hal’s ring. Floating closer, Hal halted right above him, hovering just inches from his face. Something about seeing Barry so soft and unguarded loosened the knot in Hal’s stomach. Then again, seeing Barry always had that kind of effect these days. Hal would rather not think about what it meant, so he didn’t.  
  
Placing a hand shaped light construct over Barry’s mouth so he wouldn’t wake up the entire neighborhood with a scream, Hal leaned in an extra inch and said--

  


__________________________

  


“Boo!” The sound woke him up with a start, head colliding with something solid.  
  
“Fuck, ow!”  
  
Barry’s thoughts exactly, but he hadn’t been the one to utter them. Head slow with sleep and a possible concussion, it took him almost a full second to recognize the familiar warm glow of a light construct against his skin, covering his mouth. Another second later and his eyes focused on Hal floating right in front of his face, rubbing his nose  
  
“Note to self: subject does not like being gagged; will try to break nose with headbutt.”  
  
Barry pulled the light construct off his face with a snort.  
  
“You’re practically invincible with that ring of yours, I’d be more likely to crack my own skull open.” The banter was so natural that Barry only now realized there was something odd about the situation. “What time is it? What are you doing here?”  
  
Hal cleared his throat, sat up straight, crossing his legs while still in mid-air, and flashed him his million dollar smile. Barry’s stomach lurched backwards. This was fast becoming a regular occurrence. The only way Barry could think to deal with it was to wait until it passed, so he did.  
  
“The night is young, the stars are out, and I there I was, about to go on a grand adventure, all by myself. But then it occurred to me: Barry Allen is probably spending this beautiful evening sleeping, or, dare I say it, studying! What a waste! So I took pity, and decided to grant you a place besides me as I conquer the world. You should be grateful, it’s a true honor.”  
  
Barry wanted to play along, he really did. But he was Hal’s best friend for a reason, and seeing through his bullshit bravado was part of his job description.  
  
“What happened?” When Hal’s face fell just the slightest bit, Barry almost regretted saying anything. But he pushed on, hoping it was one of those nights where Hal let him in to help.  
  
“Was it Jack again?” The sigh told him everything he needed to know. With slumped shoulders, Hal lowered himself down onto the side of the bed. Barry swung his legs over the edge and sat down to his right, shoulders bumping together.  
  
“You do know how to suck the fun out of things, Bar.”  
  
“That’s what I’m here for.” After a few seconds of silence he tried again: “What did he do now?”  
  
“Nothing, just… the usual. You know, sometimes I think he does it just for kicks.”  
  
In what Barry hoped would be considered an act of comfort, he placed his left hand on Hal’s right knee and squeezed. 

  


__________________________

  


Such a simple touch, and yet it was enough for Hal to let go of this act he always put up. His muscles were tired of having to hold his head high, keep his back straight, and keep a smile on his face. With a deep sigh that expelled much more than just air, he relaxed and let his head fall down on Barry’s shoulder. He was the only one who saw right through Hal’s carefully constructed facade, saw the mess he was underneath. But rather than breaking him further down, than reminding Hal of what he wasn’t, Barry had a gift for picking up the pieces, putting them all back together, and smoothing out the cracks. And, surprisingly, Hal let him, time and time again. Barry was great a fixing messes. He was great at a lot of things. Sometimes Hal didn’t understand why someone like Barry would put up with someone like him. But then he remembered Barry was a boring old fart, and he was fucking hilarious and somehow they complimented each other and it just worked.  
  
Barry’s hand moved away from his knee to wrap around his back.  
  
“You’re more than welcome to stay here tonight. I mean, I haven’t even touched the air mattress, it’s just the way you left it last week. I could make us hot chocolate, we could watch a movie.”  
  
There he went, Barry’s patented ‘carbs and entertainment’ healing process already set in motion. They’d been here many times before, and it was a great way to forget about everything, just for the night. But Hal needed more, needed change. Tonight, he decided, was not a stay-in-and-distract-Hal kind of night. Shaking his head, his grin returned full force as he stood up and faced Barry.  
  
“No no no! I will not get caught in your web of domesticity, not today Mr. Allen. I was 100% serious about conquering the world tonight. It will happen, with our without your help!”  
  
The alarmed look on Barry’s face only encouraged him.  
  
“Oh God, Hal what are you gonna do?”  
  
“Not sure yet, but you better come along to make sure I don’t accidentally cause World War 3, or worse, get a scratch on this pretty face of mine.”  
  
“Glad to see you still have your priorities straight.”  
  
“Of course, I never lose sight of what is really important.”  
  
He wasn’t saying no, but Barry also hadn’t moved from where he was sitting on his bed, and for a second Hal thought he’d lost his second battle that night. But then Barry stood up with a sigh and reached for a pair of jeans flung over his desk chair.  
  
“Better safe than sorry, I suppose.” 

  


__________________________

When Hal got that look in his eyes, Barry knew there would be no stopping him. All he could do was keep up and minimize the damage.  
  
“That’s the spirit!”  
  
After replacing his pyjama bottoms with a pair of jeans, Barry crossed the room to his closet, shooting Hal an unimpressed look on the way before turning to grab a clean t-shirt. Hal’s snort lingered in the otherwise quiet night.  
  
They had seen each other in almost every state of undress, so Barry didn't think twice about removing his pyjama button-up, the kind Hal endlessly made fun of him for, no matter how many times he explained he just liked being comfortable. But rather than blurting out another teasing remark, Hal’s laughter died out. The silence wasn't uncomfortable, just unusual. Hal always filled every second, every inch, with energy and noise. For him to fall silent… Barry jerked his head around, worried something was wrong, the motion of pulling the t-shirt over his head all but forgotten.  
  
The look Hal was giving him stopped him short. Head cocked to the side, eyes focused on his torso with intense curiosity. Barry blinked, and the next moment it was all gone.  
  
“My God Barry, is being the fastest man alive not enough for you anymore, are you also going for the world’s slowest dresser?” The effortless grin and constant teasing were back, as if they’d never left. Had he imagined it? _Wishful thinking, maybe?_ Barry shook off that last thought as quickly as it had dared to show its head. _None of that, thank you very much!_  
  
One huff in mock exasperation, then Barry tapped into the speed force to put on the t-shirt, a hoodie, his sneakers and Flash ring before Hal could blink.  
  
“Better?” he asked as he came to a stop just inches from Hal’s face. But the boy seemed unphased, like he didn’t expect anything less.  
  
“Perfect!” Hal patted him lightly on the cheek twice, then took a step back. Crossing his arms and bringing one finger up to his lips as if considering a deep philosophical question, he concluded: “there’s only one thing missing.” With a sigh, Barry let his shoulders fall.  
  
“What now?” Hal turned back to poke him in his chest.  
  
“The keys to your car,” he explained with a telling grin. He knew exactly how Barry would react to that statement, and said it because of it.  
  
Barry, being Barry, went along with it willingly. “Are you kidding? We can run and/or fly anywhere at a fraction of the time it would take to drive.”  
  
“It’s not a road trip if we don’t drive, Bar,” he answered matter-of-factly.  
  
“Darryl needs the car to get to work in the morning,” Barry tried.  
  
Of course, Hal had an argument ready for that too: “we’ll be back before dawn. He won’t even know it was gone.”  
  
“I…” Barry started, but he trailed off as he came up empty.  
  
“Am running out of excuses?” Hal finished for him with a triumphant smile.  
  
“Fine.” And just like that, Barry found himself agreeing to a midnight road trip. He acted all reluctant, but it was mostly because he knew Hal liked the challenge, and loved winning even more. And Barry liked seeing Hal happy.  
  
“But I’m driving.”  
  
Trusting Hal to follow, he tapped back into the speed force, making his way down the stairs as quietly as possible, fishing the keys from the bowl by the front door and vibrating right on through into the crisp night air.  
  
He had the motor running and was just buckling up his seat belt when Hal opened the car door and slipped into the passenger seat.  
  
“Where to, oh captain, my captain?”  
  
“Just drive, Barry.”  
  
So he did.


End file.
